Stalked (Predators MC 4)

“It wasn’t hard. You’re wearing a pink dress.”

She waved away his explanation. “Don’t ruin it. At least let me have a couple of minutes to be proud of my student.”

His smile faded. “Is that how you think of me? As your student?”

“Of course. It’s how I think of all of my clients. I think of you as a friend, too. You’ve become one of my best friends, like Patrick, Penni, Grace—”

“You should get going. Six a.m. will be here before you know it.”

Her face fell. “Okay. I didn’t mean to keep you up. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He followed her back into the club’s main room, bleakly watching her say goodbye to Hannibal.

“Can he keep the bone I bought him?” she asked hesitatingly. “It’s blue.”

“He can keep it.”

It took everything in him to simply watch her leave after she gave him a searching look. And he made sure not to stare at the bottom lip that started to tremble. He didn’t move until he saw her headlights back out of the parking lot. Then he went to the bar and picked up one of the empty bottles that littered the counter. With a sudden motion, he threw it at the wall that held the television set, barely missing it.

He looked down when he heard a whining sound coming from Hannibal. The small dog pawed his jeans, trying to get him to pick him up.

Reaching for another beer bottle and another, he threw them until there were no bottles left.

“I can’t be her friend, Hannibal. I tried. Some things are just impossible for a man to do, and not loving Zoey is one of them.”

18

Dear Mom,

I don’t know what to do. Dad and Tracy are fighting so much it scares me. I take Aubrey to my bedroom and hide under my bed when their fights are getting too bad. Tracy said Dad stole money from her sister and her mother, and she wants it back. I don’t know what to do. I expect Dad to make us leave at any time, and I don’t want to leave Aubrey behind, but I know Tracy won’t let her go, and I don’t want her missing her momma the way I do you.

Can you please help? Call Dad and make him give back Tracy’s family’s money. I don’t know what to do. Please help. I’m begging you. If you do, I promise I’ll quit bugging you, and I won’t write anymore.

I have no one to turn to now that school is out for the summer, and Dad won’t let me leave the house unless I’m with him.

I asked Tracy to mail this letter for me so I know you’ll get it. Please don’t let me down this time. I don’t care about the other letters you didn’t write me back after Dad mailed them. We can make a secret pact never to talk about it if you want.

Tracy promised me that, if you write back, she won’t tell Dad, and she’ll let me have the letter. We can all be in the pact together. It will just be our secret.

I’ll be waiting for your letter. Please, Mom, don’t let me down. I told Tracy you wouldn’t. I told you that you would like her. I hope you can meet her one day, and Aubrey, too. I know you’ll love them as much as I do.

xoxo

Love,

Zoey

Stretching her arms high in the air, she then bent to touch the top of her toes as she waited for Stump to arrive.

It was six fifteen when she had come out to warm up, expecting him to pull up on his motorcycle at any minute. He was never this late.

She would give him another minute before she texted him, not wanting him looking at his phone if he was driving. He was going to be angry at her for coming outside without him being there, but she hadn’t been able to resist after her anxiousness at his strange behavior last night.

She still couldn’t understand why he had been smiling at her indulgently like a big brother one minute, and the next, she felt frost dimming his aura.

At the sound of a motorcycle coming toward her, she looked down from the sky eagerly. As the motorcycle grew nearer, though, she realized it wasn’t Stump. The man getting off the bike was one she recognized after he took off his helmet, laying it on the seat.

Worriedly, she met Jackal before he could step onto the sidewalk.

“Where’s Stump? Is he okay?” she asked before he could get any words out.

“Ice has another job he needs Stump to take care of. I’ll be taking over for him.”

“I don’t understand. You mean, he won’t be watching me anymore?” She bit down on her bottom lip at the thought of not seeing Stump every day.